Adjectives for Jet
by ExodusBeteNoire
Summary: Updated! Hetty meddles. Callen corners Jet to find out what happened between her and Matt while she was in New York. Only it isn't exactly what he expected.
1. Enigmatic

**Adjectives for Jet**

Disclaimer – I don't own NCIS: LA. I don't own any of the characters. I never will. If you think for a second that I do then you either one or both of two things, 1. Delusional; 2. Stupid. If you understand this disclaimer…keep reading. Thank you.

**Chapter One – Enigmatic**

**Jet wondered into the NCIS headquarters for the Office of Special Procedures a little after 10:15am. Fresh from LAX she was dressed in black jeans, her well worn studded mid calf boots and a black tee shirt. Her black duffle bag was thrown over her shoulder. Her black hair was tied up in a messy bun, which was styled in the heat during the static yet agitated oxymoron of traffic.**

**She hated traffic and had to contend with an abhorrence of it since she set foot on Californian ground. Sitting in traffic did give her the chance to observe her surroundings. LA she decided was pretty much like every other city she ever lived in, it had the snobbishness of Paris, the fashion aware of Milan, quirkiness of Tokyo, the traffic of London and the hives of people just like New York.**

**Her mood was indifferent which wasn't new; it seemed to her that indifference was simply part of her personality these days. Well maybe a lot of days and the traffic certainly hadn't helped it any. She was impatient.**

**Jet finally made it past the security guard standing watch by the entrance. He was much older than she and had an air of superiority about him. It made her itch to smack him across the face. Their quiet words soon became an argument, since he thought she was a child and Jet thought he was an idiot. Apparently she didn't look like an undercover agent. How she was supposed to look, Jet wasn't sure. It was only after she convinced him to call Hetty that she was allowed admission further into the old building. **

**She pushed the internal door open with a scowl on her face, adjusting the duffle bag on her shoulder as she went. There were quite a few things she hated, prejudice was one of them. Why was it always assumed that because she was young, she was inexperienced or because she was good at her job, that she must be a man. Jet shook her head, as she continued down the dimly lit hallway several different men and women smiled at her. Jet paid them no attention; she wasn't here to make friends. **

**The building was quite nice. It reminded Jet of an old warehouse she'd lived in for a few weeks, except this building had sandstone walls. Without some of the obvious industrial utilities it could have been mistaken for a sparse Spanish revival home.**

**Stopping at the bullpen she saw three men playing some sort of game, which involved a small recycling bin and scrunched up paper balls. Jet frowned. What had she signed up for? Was this normal? Did American Agents find this a productive use of their time? **

**Jet slipped her duffle bag from her shoulders and lowered it to the stone floor. The three men turned and looked at her closely. They shared a curious glance with each other and all seemed to agree silently that none knew who she was. The one with the messy blonde hair came towards her as she leant against some of the iron lacework. He looked her up and down appreciatively, a roguish grin on his face. Jet knew that he must think himself attractive, that she would be helpless against his charms. Insecurities masked with arrogance, she knew the type. He must be green or maybe just lucky.**

"**Hi gorgeous, I'm Marty are you looking for someone?"**

**Jet rolled her eyes in his direction. Hi gorgeous? Was that the best he could do? She said nothing and looked at him with a blank stare, knowing that he would find her silence disconcerting. He didn't expect her to address his complete lack of professionalism, did he?**

**The two other men came towards her, both seemingly amused with her reaction towards their co-worker. The man with a brown buzz cut extended his hand towards her. He was attractive in a rough sort of way, not that she'd ever admit to thinking that out aloud. **

"**Hey I'm Callen," he paused to gesture to the African-American who looked like he knew he could handle himself, "and this is Sam."**

**Jet shrugged, she really couldn't care less. All co-workers did was ask too many questions and cause trouble, especially the somewhat attractive ones who had blue eyes. Glancing at her watch, she frowned. Hetty should have met her by now. Pushing herself off the decorative iron lacework, she stepped past Callen and Sam. She'd had enough of this circus. **

"**Hetty!" **

**The tiny woman appeared at the top of the stairs and Jet was please to see that she was smiling. "Jet my dear how was your flight?" **

**Jet nodded politely, "Fine. Thank you."**

**She followed Hetty's line of slight towards the three gentlemen, "Have you been introduced to your co-agents?"**

**The small woman stopped before her. Jet bent down to kiss her cheek, "Well enough." Hetty was one of the few people that Jet could actually stand. The older woman pulled no punches and said what she meant, there were no mind games. Jet liked that. She'd also been a close to a mutual friend of theirs, which in her book meant that the older woman should be respected.**

**Jet stepped towards her duffle bag. Reaching into the dark worn leather, she pulled out a bright orange cardboard bag. It was the kind which you knew contained something expensive. Holding it towards Hetty, her face was passive and there was no inflection in her voice. **

"**I know you've always wanted an Emilo Pucci scarf. But Hermes is I dunno…" she paused, "more sophisticated."**

**Hetty took the bag delighted, "Thank you."**

**Jet shrugged, it off it was nothing. She walked past the store in New York, knew that Hetty liked scarves so she bought one. Material things had little to no value to her. Money had value; because it allowed certain liberties anything else was basically superfluous. **

"**So," Hetty said, "settle in, make yourself comfortable, help yourself to a nice cup of tea and become familiar with your fellow agents."**

**The man called Callen laughed at the look on her face and Jet gave him a glare so steely he sobered quickly. She rushed towards Hetty fiercely, putting both Sam and Callen on the automatic defensive. But she wasn't bothered by them, she could take them easily if she had to. The big guy Sam would probably only slow her down. It could be done.**

"**What!"**

"**Cease with the dramatics Miss Strakosha."**

**Callen frowned and before he realised it he was correcting Hetty's pronunciation. His voice mingled with the English lilt of the new agent's. He caught Hetty's secret grin and knew then that she had pronounced her name falsely on purpose.**

"**It's Stra-ko-sha."**

**Jet turned and looked at him briefly and he assumed she was surprised that he knew enough Albanian to say her surname properly. To her credit her red lips and green eyes showed no emotion. Callen grinned at her, which she completely ignored before turning her deadly gaze back to Hetty. He shivered unwittingly, her eyes were empty, unsettling. **

"**I work alone Hetty." She repeated the word for emphasis, "Alone. Surely Devlin mentioned that."**

**Callen looked over at Sam, who shrugged, Sam had no idea who the mysterious Devlin was either. It didn't really surprise him that Hetty had mysterious friends, the woman practically knew everyone somehow. It was like playing six degrees of Kevin Bacon.**

**Hetty met Jet's gaze glare for glare as a battle of wills took place. "That may be true Jet, but at NCIS we do things differently. One of these agents will be going undercover with you or will be providing you with backup."**

**Callen had to admit to himself, that he was impressed by the new agent's guts. It wasn't often that someone was brave enough to openly go head to head with the diminutive woman. Callen had a feeling though, that in this case Jet was fighting a losing battle. Still she continued.**

"**I've worked alone my whole career within various different agencies. I've proven my abilities, why can't I continue here as I've always done?"**

**The older woman shook her head, "Working alone without back-up conflicts with NCIS protocols. It isn't going to change Jet, so you best get used to it."**

**Jet sighed as Hetty walked towards her office, with a sense of finality, "Choose your battles wisely Jet."**

**When Hetty disappeared from sight, Callen finally allowed himself to look at the woman before him. The word hellcat seemed an appropriate adjective to describe her personality. Her appearance was deceiving she could be mistaken for a model, with black hair like silk and skin like fine porcelain. And she clearly didn't have the build to be skilled in combat, she was lithe and graceful. The woman held herself like she was a prima ballerina. **

**Callen sighed he had a feeling that Jet was an enigma. Was that why Hetty had recruited her for NCIS? And why did she have such an aversion for working with other agents? **

**He watched as Jet picked up her duffle bag, she slung it over her shoulder and to his surprise. Jet walked past them all and down the hall towards the exit. Ignoring Sam calling his name, Callen rushed after her. He wasn't sure why he did it, why it bothered him so much that she was leaving.**

**Jet heard the sound of quick heavy footsteps following her and someone calling her name. She ignored them and continued walking towards the exit. **

**Someone grabbed her arm tightly and pulled her around. To her surprise it was the blue eyed guy with the buzz cut, Callen. She looked towards where his fingers were curled around her bicep. Briefly she entertained the idea of immediately slapping him for touching her. Thoughts of hurting him faded when Jet looked up into his eyes, they reminded her of a tropical ocean. Then it dawned on her that his touch didn't make her feel sick like she normally did whenever someone touched her. It actually felt nice. It wasn't a feeling she was used to and Jet didn't like it, it wasn't good. She tried to pull her arm away to find that Callen was stronger than he looked.**

"**Let me go!"**

**His face was creased with what was it? Worry? Concern? "Where are you going?"**

**Jet frowned. Why did he care? She'd just met him and people normally didn't care about her or like her. Hyperaware of his touch and uncomfortable she decided this was enough. She asked him nicely which was more than most people got and he ignored her. Callen was startled by a swift and powerful slap to the face. He dropped her arm and when he looked up Jet was gone the last internal door swishing closed behind her. He had a feeling that things at NCIS Special Projects were about to become a whole lot more interesting for not only him but for everyone.**


	2. Transforming

Special thanks to Violent-fetish and ManhattanMadame for their reviews. It made me so excited; it was like a wordy Christmas. So thanks chicas!

**Chapter Two – Transforming**

**Callen arrived at work bickering with Sam about the basketball game they had watched the night before. All bickering had ceased when they saw Jet sitting at on the lounge which was pushed against the wall. Her black hair was in a long braid. And pair of fashionable glasses, with black plastic frames were perched on her nose. **

**Sam threw him a quick glance. "I didn't know that she wore glasses," he whispered. Callen understood what Sam meant. The basic features of her face were the same, but the clothes she wore the style was completely different. They both had to look twice to make it was sure it was in fact Jet they were really seeing. **

**With her head in a book, both Sam and Callen had assumed that Jet hadn't seen them. How wrong they were. They almost jumped when they heard her sharp tongue take aim at them from across the room. "Are you staring at me because you lack the intelligence required to formulate a sentence?" **

**Kensi looked up from the newspaper in front of her, a grin on her face secretly pleased that Jet seemed to surprise them both. "Hey guys!"**

**Eric whistled and they all looked up at the surfie standing up on the walkway. Callen was hesitant to follow Eric's invitation. He wanted to see Jet's reaction. He looked at Sam, Kensi and Deeks and found them doing the same thing. They all watched her closely as she gave Eric a chilling stare. Callen felt sorry for the surfie who flinched under her dark glare. "Eric lets get something straight. I am not a dog. Whistling doesn't serve any purpose other than to make me fantasise about ways to hurt you." **

**Jet climbed the stairs and stopped at Eric's side, "Next time use my name. It's the reason we all have them." Eric gave a nervous laugh as Jet disappeared into the Ops Room.**

**Eric tapped the large screen twice and several photos appeared before them. Callen noticed how Eric tried to avoid looking at Jet and he found himself grinning. "Guys this is Corporal Mitchell Darlinghurst, he was found dead in a hotel room a few hours ago. LAPD kicked it to us after they found out he was on of ours."**

**Callen heard Kensi ask Eric about forensics, as Jet's behaviour caught his attention. Nate, Deeks and Kensi all avoided looking at the spectacularly gruesome crime scene photos. Jet who Callen judged was close in age to the others didn't seem at all phased; in fact the opposite was true. She looked at each one closely, like she was at an art exhibition. Briefly he wondered how she'd become so desensitised. It was expected in older agents, but in one so young?**

**He tore his eyes from Jet to look at Eric, "Any surveillance footage?" Eric frowned, "Yes but it isn't really helpful. We can see Darlinghurst enter the room at 6pm, at quarter past the cameras catch a figure dressed in black. But there's no face or distinguishable features."**

**Nate glanced at the crime scene photos and Callen noticed he held back a gag. "I think we should look at friends, family and any possible lovers. This looks like a crime of passion." Nate shook his head as though it would remove the images from his mind. "All those lacerations, all that blood. The person who did this lost control of their emotions and actions."**

**Jet stepped in front of Eric and tapped the coroner's report onto the screen. Callen watched as she shook her head making her braid swing gently. "You disagree with Nate?"**

**Jet could feel those blue eyes on her back. For some reason the though of those eyes watching her, made her heart beat faster. Jet swallowed and turned to meet Callen's gaze. "Yes I do." She said it with conviction. Jet knew she was right, she knew about making kills like this and the tricks which would leave the authorities chasing their tails.**

**Jet looked at Nate, "I see where you're coming from, but you've come to the conclusion that the killer wants you to." Jet meant no offence; for once she kept her sharp tongue in her mouth. One look at Nate and she knew that despite being older than her, he was still innocent and hadn't been exposed to the darkest evils that humanity had to offer. Nate had never killed anyone, she could tell. He couldn't be expected to know things like this.**

**Nate was silent and pensive. It was Deeks who came to his defence. Jet figured it was only because the blonde was still sore about her rejection yesterday. He seemed like he'd normally be an easy going type of guy. The knowledge that she pushed his buttons made her chuckle on the inside. **

"**Nate's a psychologist. I think he'd know what he's talking about."**

**The Ops Room was silent. Even the computer techs in the background fell silent as Jet snickered. "Fine, but when you come face to face with an assassin who is methodical, well organised and highly skilled with a blade. When he leaves you to die in a pool of your own blood, think of me and know I was right."**

**Deeks was livid and Jet laughed at the look on his face. He took angry strides towards her and Callen quickly moved between them. His hands were extended ready to push Deeks back if need be. Deeks lifted his hands and tried to reach for Jet. Callen pushed him in the chest and Deeks stumbled backwards. Sam grabbed the younger man around the torso. Callen looked at both Jet and Deeks, "Take some deep breaths both of you. Calm down." **

**Jet smirked at Callen, "I don't need to calm down. I'm not angry." Fixing her empty green gaze on Deeks' face looming over Callen's shoulder she spoke in sensible voice, "Why waste my anger when there's an assassin who'll most likely swat the annoying fly for me. Assassin's get nasty when you start poking your nose in their business" **

**Callen reached for Jet, ready to reprimand her, but she was too fast for him. Twirling out of his grasp, the look on her face made everything else seem like a game. Her green eyes were soulless. Callen wondered briefly what had happened to her. How would an almost touch change her demeanour so dramatically or more importantly why?**

**He felt worthless suddenly. He'd always been confident in his abilities and rarely questioned himself. Callen questioned himself now. It hurt that this beautiful woman found his touch so repulsive. Could she see the turmoil he tried so hard to keep hidden? He watched Jet leave the Ops Room and sighed. **

**Turing around he looked at his team, knowing the weariness he felt didn't show on his face. Simply because he'd become too adept at hiding it. He scratched his head, "Kensi, Sam go check out the crime scene and be careful. Just in case Jet's right and there's more going on here." Sam and Kensi both nodded and disappeared from the room. **

**Callen glanced at Deeks unable to keep the anger from being heard in his voice, "You find out everything you can about Mitchell Darlinghurst."**

**Callen found Jet sitting on the lounge, which in after hours often served as his bed. Slightly shocked to find her still here, he leant against the edge of the iron lace work divider. He watched her closely, the way she punished her scalp with her fingernails absently, as she continued reading her book. **

**There was something about her that interested him that drew him in and stirred up something inside him. Despite Jet instigating Deeks into anger, Callen found himself wanting to protect her, angry that Deeks had thought to act aggressively towards her. Was he beginning to care for her? Was it because she seemed so delicate? Or was it simply because she was part of the team and Callen felt responsible for her?**

"**Did you come to say something or is staring a quirk of yours that I should become accustomed to?"**

**Callen chucked softly, she didn't bother to look up from her book. Which he noticed was in French. "We need to go and check out Darlinghurst's apartment."**

**Jet turned to look at him. "You aren't here to lecture me?" She asked red lips curling into a suspicious smirk. Callen subconsciously licked his lips. "Nope, you know you purposefully baited Deeks and you know it was wrong." **

**Jet followed him out to his blue Impala and slid into the passenger's seat gracefully. "Besides if the aggression between you keeps up, " Callen continued, "I'll give you both some boxing gloves and you can settle it the old fashioned way." **

**Laughing, Jet rubbed her hands together with childlike enthusiasm and more emotion than he'd ever seen her display. "Great! You just let me know when," she paused for a second adding, "I don't think it'll work though. Men generally don't like it when women almost beat them to death, they tend to find it emasculating."**

**Callen touched the breaks harder than he necessary to prevent hitting the car in front. He swallowed trying to think of a way to tell Jet that he was joking. That he'd never really consider it since she was a woman. He just didn't think that a serious fight was proper, sparing sure. But a real fight which wasn't in the line of duty, no it wasn't right. Callen respected women too much to let something like that happen. He was old fashioned like that. His silence was enough though, because Jet turned to look at him suspiciously. Callen shrugged, "I was only messing with you," he sputtered giving her an irresistible grin.**

**Jet shot daggers at Callen, already sensing where this conversation was heading. "You better not be implying that I can't take care of myself." Callen shook his head, "Not at all. Deeks has MMA training." **

**Callen pulled into the curb and parked the Impala outside the apartment block. "Blondie has some mixed martial arts training, so what! There's a reason my nickname is Jet." Locking the car Callen followed her up the gravel path to Darlinghurst's apartment, "Why's that?"**

**Slipping her small lock picking case from her small messengers' bag, she grinned at Callen wickedly, "Because like Jet Li, I might be small but it certainly doesn't mean I can't or won't kick your ass."**

**The door swung open and Callen covered Jet with his gun out as she pulled the door closed behind her. Guns locked and loaded they both cleared the apartment in minutes. Jet began searching the lounge room, Callen followed suit. "Nice place," she heard Callen comment and said nothing. He was right it was a nice place. It looked lived in, yet cared for. Jet knew she could be comfortable in a place like this, at least for a few months. Glancing around at the various photo frames scattered around the walls. Jet saw Corporal Darlinghurst with various friends, family and marine buddies dressed in uniform. She sighed as she focused on what appeared to be a childhood home with Darlinghurst and a young girl, she assumed his sister. A pang of jealously shot through her, she was assailed with a blurry memory of a time when her older brother had put his arm around her shoulders in the same protective manner. **

**Jet noticed Callen observing her from the corner of his eye and she shook the thoughts of loneliness and longing from her head. She noticed that he'd begun flicking through books on the bookshelf. Jet had always wanted a huge bookshelf much like that one; she loved reading but moved too much to have a collection of her own. Normally she'd buy a book read it and then donate it to a local library or charity shop. **

**Standing before what appeared to serve as Darlinghurst's study, she switched on the laptop. While it was booting up, she checked his voicemails and noticed Callen stop and look in her direction as a message from his sister echoed through the living room. Jet scowled, she really wished he'd stop. Those eyes, she hated those eyes, the way they seemed to see her like one else ever had. The way they warmed her yet looked so alone. **

**Noticing that the computer was switched on, she attempted to use a simple hacker's trick to gain access without luck. Sighing she slipped the encrypted laptop and the charger into her bag. **

"**Whoa!" Callen held out a hollowed out book stacked with money, "sequential hundreds." That sparked Jet's interest, she glanced down at the cash, "That's a lot of money to save for a rainy day." Callen nodded, "Where does a navy Corporal get this kind of cash?" Jet watched as Callen counted the cash, biting her lower lip in thought. "There's a lot there, too much to be his life savings." Callen looked up from the book, and made eye contact with her, Jet turned her head before she disappeared into those blue depths. **

**Jet barely heard Callen sigh before he continued, "It's gotta be illegally obtained. No sane person would keep this much in their home unless it was too risky taking it to the bank because they would ask questions." Jet nodded absently, not really listening. She would have easily reached the same conclusion except she was too busy convincing herself that she needed to distance herself from Callen. Her body responded to him at a mere glance and she wanted nothing more than to be close to him, to know him. **

**Shaking her head, Jet wondered into the back of the apartment past a small laundry and into the bedroom. Jet lifted the edges of the mattress, checked the chest of drawers and then the wardrobe. Finding nothing, she moved back towards the kitchen.**

**What she saw surprised her. Callen was crouched on the floor patting Darlinghurst's cat. He, like most people didn't hear her approach and Jet allowed herself the pleasure of observing him without interruption for a moment. She was amazed that he took the time to rub its ears gently. The cat purred sweetly loving the attention. Jet brushed a stray hair from her eyes. The way Callen smiled, he seemed carefree just for a little while. She found herself smiling too it was like seeing him happy made her feel better. It took a certain kind of man to take the time to show an animal the affection it needed. Would he give her the affectionate embrace she dreamed of, yet was so scared of? Would Callen give that to someone like her? Someone so close to the edge, someone so broken, Jet felt a pang of pain inside her chest. She wasn't stupid, the answer would be no. It always was, no one ever cared about her not once they actually knew her. All they did was push her away. Feeling the warmth behind her eyes, Jet slammed them closed. Crying meant you were weak. Vulnerability wasn't allowed, ever. When she opened them she forced all emotion down inside her. She really had to get away from Callen. It was the only solution, if she didn't he'd worm his way through the steel reinforced walls that kept her alive, that kept her safe.**

**Jet cleared her throat and Callen looked up at her. Those blue eyes, Jet scowled, "Ready to go?" Callen nodded but Jet didn't see it, she was already out the front door. Pulling it closed behind her, Jet swallowed hard. From now on Callen was off limits. Once upon a time she'd been weak and she vowed a long time ago that she'd never be weak again. Jet was still carrying the scars from the first time. **


	3. Enticing

**Chapter 3 – Enticing**

**Callen stroked the cat's fur one last time. "I don't think she likes me much Cat" The cat yowled in response and he chuckled. Quickly he made sure the cat had enough water and poured some more dry food into its bowl. Getting up he dusted his hands off. Tucking the book under his arm he made sure the front door was locked when he left. **

**Immediately he spotted Jet talking to an older lady dressed in a neat pant suit. Jet's lips curled into a smile as she came towards him. She winked at him, she was undercover. But still his heart pounded in his chest as she slipped her arm around his waist. Jet nestled her body against his as a need for her surged through him. A need to feel her pressed against him, to kiss her. Jet's green eyes looked up at him, Callen noticed her eyes were slightly red and tears still clung to her thick black lashes. The though of her crying made a heaviness settle inside him. He hated the thought. **

**Still smiling she looked back at the old lady and brought Callen back from his thoughts, "Jean this is my man Jack." **

**The old lady Jean grinned knowingly, "Oh, you both make such a lovely couple." Callen put his arm around Jet and kissed the top of her head lightly. Purely for the sake of maintaining the cover, at least that's what he told himself. He sighed, she even smelt good, beautiful and delicate, like flowers. **

**Callen smiled at the chatty old lady "Thanks." Jet reached up and touched his chest lightly. Callen savoured the feeling, "We should really get going." She glanced up at him and smiled through her eyelashes, "Sam will get mad if we're late again." Jet wiped her eyes gently, as they said goodbye. **

**Callen took her hand in his as they walked down the path towards his car, just in case the nosey old woman was still watching. **

**They reached Callen's car and he was shocked when Jet pulled her fingers from his. Pushing his hand away she climbed into the passenger's seat of the car silently. To Callen's disappointment and confusion, Jet so much as refused to glance in his direction. He frowned, attempted to figure out what he'd done wrong. Clueless, he pulled on to the main road.**

**Callen continually glimpsed her from his peripherals, "So tell me more about this assassin theory of yours." Jet shrugged like she was found the whole conversation boring, "An assassin, a hit man, a gun-for-hire whatever you want to call him; killed your Corporal. End of story."**

"**What evidence do you base this theory on?" Jet turned and looked at him like he was slow intellectually, "Crime scene photos and the Coroner's report." **

**Callen sighed with frustration, she was so chatty before. "What in the crime scene photos and Coroner's report told you it was a hit man." He heard Jet sigh in annoyance. **

"**The Coroner's report says that the majority of the wounds were inflicted soon after death. But the cause of death was the massive blood loss caused by the deep lacerations which severed the carotid and the femoral arteries. Those are both reasonably well known by the common public. The brachial and the inferior vena cava were also sliced and diced. Both of which are tricky to find unless you have more than a basic knowledge of anatomy." Jet adjusted her glasses, **

**Callen nodded, Jet seemed to have considered everything. She'd drawn conclusions which seasoned a Detective or Special Agent may have initially missed. "Could it just be coincidence?"**

**Jet seemed to consider the idea and shook her head, "Unless Corporal Darlinghurst has a family member who is a psychopathic doctor or nurse, the Coroner also makes reference to the lacerations being definite. Not one of them shows any sign of the hesitation a first timer would have, there were no signs of disorganisation or panic which means hit man or serial killer."**

**Callen nodded, he didn't think that Jet was stupid. But he didn't realise just how quickly her mind worked, how intelligent she really was. "Why can't it be a serial killer?" **

"**Serial killers follow a pattern, a modus operandi if you will. There were no other murders where each or most of those arteries were cut in this state or nationally for 5 years. I checked, so it rules out a serial killer."**

**Callen quirked an eyebrow at Jet in amazement, as he pulled his car to a stop at a red light. How did Jet get her hands on it and in such a short time? She'd only been out of his sight for less than 5 minutes. Tapping his fingers on the steering wheel for a second, "How did you get access to state and national FBI databases when only Eric's computer has access? And more to the point how did you get access so quickly?" **

**Jet said nothing, much to his annoyance. Parking his car at OSP headquarters, Callen tried again, "Jet?" Ignoring his question yet again, Jet pulled Corporal Darlinghurst's laptop and charger from her bag and dropped them on Callen's lap. "A present for Eric, FYI the laptop has 128 bit encryption." With that Callen had no choice but to sit there and watch Jet as she left the car and vanished into the OPS building.**

**After dropping the laptop off so Eric could work his magic, Callen lurked in the entrance to Hetty's office. As if sensing him standing there, she looked up from her laptop computer. "Mr Callen what can I do for you?" He hesitated, in attempt to find the right words. "I wanted to talk to you about Jet." **

**Hetty sighed, "Would you like a cup of tea?" Callen nodded moving from the entrance he sat on the lounge. "So what is it you need to ask me?" Callen frowned, "She's a complete enigma. Why did you recruit her for NCIS?" **

**Hetty passed him his tea and sipped her own before she answered him with more questions which frustrated him more, "Why do you ask is there a problem? She didn't put Mr Deeks' on his butt did she?"**

**Callen grinned; he found that amusing the thought of such a petite woman putting Deeks' lights out. He shook his head in reply, there wasn't a problem exactly, but she didn't really fit in with the team. Actually she didn't even seem to be bothered trying to. **

"**Jet isn't the most socially orientated person I've ever met." Hetty laughed loudly as he continued, "There must be some reason you thought she would be an asset to the team."**

**Hetty slipped her glasses from her face, "What I tell you is completely confidential and must remain between us. Jet is a private person; she would not appreciate me telling you anything about her." Callen nodded leaning forward, resting his elbows on his knees, "This conversation never happened."**

"**A very good friend of mine asked me to keep an eye on her." **

**Callen frowned interested, "Why would someone ask you to do that?" Hetty shook her head which told him that she wasn't going to answer his question. "Mr Callen have some patience with her. She's an excellent agent and she has several skills which make her an asset to your team." Callen nodded and Hetty chuckled, "As for being a little anti-social Mr Callen I don't recall you being forthcoming with personal information." **

**He hesitated, before realising Hetty had a point. She topped up her teacup, as Callen spoke, a grin on his face. "But I'm nice." He paused, "her file says she her parents died in a car accident and left her everything. What skeletons could a trust fund brat possibly have Hetty?" Callen wasn't judgemental; he just couldn't see how someone who grew up with a silver spoon in their mouth ended up like Jet. When he was a child stuck in foster homes, he'd always secretly wished for two things, someone who loved him no matter what and money. Callen always thought if somehow he had those two things, that anything was possible and life would be good.**

**Hetty set her teacup back on its saucer, "Sometimes people think that it is necessary to hide particular things in their past because they feel that these things make them weak. When in my experience it is surviving these things which make them strong."**

**Callen put his teacup and saucer back on the tray on Hetty's desk, still feeling confused, "Is that why you need to keep an eye on her?" Hetty was thoughtful before she answered, "All I can say is that you and Miss Strakosha have more in common that you think."**

**He was about to speak again when Hetty's landline rang loudly. She answered it spoke briefly and hung up, with a curt smile on her face. "Mr Beale wants me to inform you that he has cracked the encryption on Corporal Darlinghurst's laptop like a coconut." Callen laughed at the tiny woman who cleared her throat, "His words not mine." **

**Callen grinned as he climbed from the lounge. He was almost out the doorway when Hetty added, "Maybe if you reveal something about yourself to Miss Strakosha she may return the favour."**

**When Callen and Jet arrived back at OPS headquarters, she was quick to distance herself from Callen. She weaved her way through the crowd of meaningless faces at a fast paced walk. Jet found an empty change room, with a small shower block in the back. She exhaled in relief, she was alone. Finally she had one glorious moment, where she could be no one, just an empty shell with no feelings. It was the only way she could cope with her past, her present and what would most likely be her future. Jet needed to be alone, if she wasn't she'd hurt or get hurt. Past experiences had already proven that she was more than willing to get in first.**

**Jet found a suitable spot on the wooden benches; she took her feet from the ground and sat cross-legged on the slats. Slipping her messengers bag from her shoulder, she pulled a visual arts diary and a small pencil case from the tattered canvas. Opening the book to the next clean page she began to draw absently as her thoughts wandered. Drawing was her one vice, ever since her childhood it was her escape. A source of good memories the only thing that had stayed true.**

**Why did everything always have to be so complicated? First London at Mi6 after Devlin died; complicated. Her attempt to have a normal life in New York, just like Devlin wanted for her; it got complicated. Now, LA which became complicated because of him, Callen, it was his fault. Callen and his dumb blue eyes, feeling angry for a moment she clutched her pencil so tightly her knuckles turned white. Jet looked down at her subconscious drawing to find Callen's handsome grin staring back at her. She'd drawn an almost perfect sketch of his visage. Jet sighed she remembered the way it felt to be close to him. The way he smelled, the way it felt to touch him. Complicated. **

**Jet closed her eyes as her mobile phone rang. The image of Callen's smile echoed behind her lids. Composing herself she answered her phone. It was Eric; he'd cracked the encryption on Corporal Darlinghurst's laptop. **

**Jet shoved her visual arts diary and pencil case into her messenger's bag with irritation.**

**Complicated. **


	4. Missing

LostForeverInHisEyes – I meant to change it before I uploaded it and as usual got distracted and forgot. Thanks for reminding me, it has since been changed. You're a hawk and I mean that as a compliment.

Violent-Fetish – You're awesome!

Thanks to EmmyMK, jeps and AngelFace_S2 for also leaving reviews.

**Chapter 4 – Missing**

**The OPS Room fell silent as the automatic doors opened and Jet glided into view. She was like a ballerina, beautiful and delicate. The way she almost floated past him, her flowery scent lingering. Callen smiled without realising he was doing so. What he wouldn't give to have Jet look up and smile at him, to see those red lips curl upwards in happiness. **

**Realising he must look like an idiot, Callen took his focus from Jet and noticed the way everyone looked at her, they hid it badly. Jet ignored them. Callen knew she must be aware that their eyes followed her Jet was an experienced agent hyperaware of her surroundings. **

**Callen nodded in her direction. "Right now we're all here," Callen paused to look in Eric's direction, "so what have we got?" Eric tapped the handheld computer as a video appeared on the large screen, "Mostly I found the usual e-mails, photos and music. Until I stumbled on this, it looks like it was taken at a club somewhere. It seemed pretty standard, until of course I noticed something in the background around here." Eric pointed at a man in a red shirt, before he started the video. The team watched as the man in the red shirt was approached by an older man in an expensive suit. They both embraced and kissed like lovers. **

**Comprehension dawned on Jet, she knew this man. It was clearly Cameron Eades, media mogul and father to her friend from New York, Lucy. **

**She heard Deeks speak, "I am supposed to know who this is?" **

**Eric laughed, "Yeah, if you watch TV. You should." He zoomed in on the man's face, "This is Cameron Eades big shot businessman, with a serious rep for being a conservative family man. He was completely against the TV channel he has shares in allowing two openly gay characters kiss on screen."**

**Jet glanced at Callen. She debated if she should tell him that she knew the suspect, even if it was in a somewhat small way. She ignored the chatter around her. No she'd say nothing and contact Lucy and see what she could find out. There was no danger; she'd use her New York alias. Simple.**

**The next day when Callen arrived at work, Jet was nowhere to be seen. It not only surprised him, since she seemed to be punctual. It bothered him too, more than it should. She hadn't contacted him or Hetty to let them know she was late. Hetty didn't seem at all concerned about her disappearance. Still, Callen didn't like it. Jet was the newbie but she was still part of his team. That meant he felt responsible for her. He'd tired her mobile and got no answer, he left her a voicemail. Callen had tried her mobile five minutes later only to find that she'd turned it off. She was simply a co-worker, nothing more. The fact that he was attracted to her and wanted nothing more than to let himself get close to her, was inconsequential, he'd already thought about it. Daydreamed about it, what it would be like to have someone like Jet care about him and want him despite his being too old for her and technically her superior. He shivered involuntarily as he imagined her lips on his neck.**

**Callen growled and slid his mobile back into the pocket of his jeans. Sam watched him with a strange look on his face all morning. Callen thought he was covering his unease. At least it wasn't Nate, as much as Callen liked the guy he always thought it was creepy how Nate seemed like he was trying to see into his head. The psychologist was a nice guy and Callen appreciated his skill set, just not when it was aimed in his direction.**

**Callen was sitting on the lounge, waiting for Kensi and Deeks to finish questioning Corporal Darlinghurst's family. Sam was out getting doughnuts and he was sitting on what had become his lounge reading the file on the Corporal's murder. It was going to be a long night; they still hadn't found any way to connect Darlinghurst with the guy in the video. **

**The sound of stilettos clicking on the stone floor made Callen look over the top of the file, it was Jet. He dropped the file to the lounge, as Jet put down a load of shopping bags on her desk. His breath caught in his throat, as he looked her up and down. A fitted dress hugged her curves, her black hair was pinned back from her face and her lips were a sensual red. In short she was absolutely beautiful, like a goddess of the silver screen. **

**He experienced several emotions at once, en masse. Part of him was glad that she didn't like it when he touched her. Callen wasn't a man who deserved a woman like Jet, he had nothing to give her, nothing she would want. He sighed and Jet looked up at him from her shopping. Callen became angry, as glad he was to see her. He was mad that she was late, that she'd been out of contact. **

**Anything could have happened to her. That tiny thought hurt him more than he liked. The thought of someone hurting her, made him sick. He stood up, "Where have you been?" He found the words came out harsher than he'd intended. **

**Jet looked up at him again and smirked, "That's funny I was under the illusion this was a federal agency and not a prison."**

**Callen stepped towards her, her flippancy doing nothing to ease his irritation. "You've worked with other agencies before. You should know that agents must be contactable at all times." He scratched his head, "I didn't expect this rookie crap from you." **

**Jet shrugged nonchalantly and Callen continued softly, "you're a member of this team now whether you like it or not, that means you're my responsibility."**

**Jet turned away from her shopping bags and Callen saw a glimpse of something in her, "I don't want you to be responsible for me. So don't do me any favours!"**

**Callen faulted for a moment, he'd never met anyone so acidic. What did he have to do to get through to her? She was so frustrating, he just wanted to shake some sense into her, make her believe that he wasn't the enemy. **

**Hearing Callen sigh, Jet looked up directly into Callen's blue eyes. He regarded her like he was trying to read her mind. She stared back with confusion as silence descended around them. Jet didn't get it. Why did Callen care where she was? He didn't feel responsible for her did he? Was this some game Callen was playing? She scratched her hairline absently. He was probably only upset because he'd look bad if something happened to her. There was no way he'd actually care about her. **

**The idea of Callen caring about her took off with her imagination and a flutter of butterflies appeared in her stomach. Jet swallowed, no, no one ever cared once they knew the real her. No one. She was dirty and broken. Even if Callen did care, she could never let him too close. Jet knew she'd ruin a good person like him. It was better she was alone. **

"**What were you doing?" Callen asked again softly. Jet nodded her head she would have to explain eventually. Since it was case related. **

"**Last night when we watched the video I recognised Cameron Eades as soon as I saw his face."**

**Callen looked somewhat annoyed, but said nothing so Jet continued. **

"**I've met him before."**

**Callen nodded, "How do you know him?" He sat on the edge of her desk, arms folded as he listened intently. **

**Jet stepped backwards casually; Callen was getting too close for comfort. Standing that close to anyone else, it wouldn't matter. She was so tempted to touch him, he smelt so good and it was hard to resist. Jet allowed herself to look him over once, admiring the set of his shoulders and arms. He was handsome, there was no denying it and she hated that she wanted him. Jet had spent time with men who were practically supermodels, but she had never felt the attraction she felt for Callen around them.**

**She finally answered, "I met his daughter Lucy while she was at Julliard. We had dinner with her parents a few times." Callen said nothing, while Jet recalled the way Cameron had shook her hand firmly and the way he absolutely adored his daughter. Jet imagined that her own father would have had the same interest in her. She could only imagine since, her memories of him often failed her. **

"**I called Lucy last night. Spun a tale about how New York wasn't right for me anymore, that I thought I'd try LA. We met for lunch and some shopping." Jet looked at Callen for a brief second, and thought about what it would be like to caress away the tension in his neck and shoulders. She cleared her throat at the distraction.**

"**Lucy is turning 24 in a few days. Her dad is throwing her a huge party at their home tonight. I got an invitation for two, me plus a friend."**

**Callen was silent for moment. Jet avoided looking at the man beside her; she could feel his eyes on her and ignored the flutter of her heart. She heard him sigh softly and growled almost silently. He was going to reprimand her again, despite her good work. Jet was beginning to get angry. It wasn't like talking about the latest silver spoon gossip, critiquing outfits or fad diets was her idea of a good time. She had sushi for lunch, sushi wasn't even proper food. She couldn't take his silence anymore and turned on him angrily.**

"**NCIS is ridiculous! I just saved the team a load of trouble. Not that I give a shite about any of you. Like any of you could get the information we need from Cameron without him sicking all four of his lawyers on us. So don't you dare lecture me again you self-righteous prig!"**

**Much to her surprise and aggravation Callen laughed. He was laughing at her. Jet seethed, how dare he laugh at her like she was stupid. She stalked towards him like a predatory cat. She was going to kill him. Jet's hand shot out to punch him, she almost reached her aim too, but Callen was ready for her. **

**He grabbed her wrists and pulled her closer. Jet gasped in surprise softly, the action was unexpected. There was no space between them, her heart beating heavily in her chest. She looked up at Callen's blue eyes sparkling with amusement. Heat seeped onto her everywhere his body touched hers, almost like she'd been cold blooded her whole life and just discovered the sun. This was bad. **

**Jet stomped the heel of her shoe on his foot, Callen gasped in pain. To his credit his hands still gripped her wrists firmly and she failed to pull away. **

"**Don't laugh at me. I'm not an idiot." **

**Callen chuckled, his face inches from hers, "I don't think that." He paused his tone becoming softer more serious, "I think…I think you're intelligent and beautiful." **

**He loosened the grip on her wrists. Jet felt a tingle as his thumb stroked her wrist. He brought his hand up towards her cheek, his face dipped. Jet's heart went into overdrive; he was going to kiss her. To her disappointment, Callen seemed to decide against it and he let her wrist go. He stepped backwards and sat back on the lounge.**

**Jet watched Callen closely; he seemed to struggle with something and then appeared reflective. She wasn't sure what to do or say and was glad when Callen lifted his head from his hands and finally spoke.**

"**I had this foster sister Alina. I was shot and she thought I had died and wanted to avenge my death. She was…" Jet thought she heard Callen's voice break, but she wasn't sure. "She was shot and she um, she died. I lost contact with her; I didn't get the chance to know her. But I like to think she would have been something like you smart and pretty."**

**Jet stopped short, she didn't know what to think, let alone say. She'd been told she was pretty before, more than once. She wasn't really convinced. Maybe they actually meant it at the time, but once they knew about the things she'd done. A breath hitched in her throat, about the things **_**he'd **_**done. Everything that happened, she shook her head, no she wasn't beautiful. Callen was sneaky trying to win her over, gain her trust. Part of her wanted to believe him, wanted to believe the emotion in his blue eyes. She had to stop this, the fluttering in her stomach, the pounding of her heart, the urges she had to fight when she was near him.**

**It had to stop, so in a firm voice she said loudly, "So what!" **

**Callen seemed surprised, he looked up at her. He tried to hide it but Jet could see the hurt in his eyes. Jet swallowed, the warmth rising behind her eyes. She'd hurt him.**


	5. Siren

**Thanks to my dedicated reviewers. You're truck loads of wicked awesome. Also to LostForeverInHisEyes for her constructive criticism, because I think it's made my writing better. If you adore Mr Callen, then go and check out her musings. It's worth it!**

**Chapter Five – Siren**

**Jet pulled on the clean lacy underwear with mild annoyance. She was getting dressed in the seemingly abandoned change room. The other change rooms, the ones conveniently near wardrobe were occupied. She had just finished putting on her bra, when the door burst open. Jet spun around, not concerned with her nudity, but with concealing the scars on her back. It was Callen who stood there; apparently he'd had the same idea she had. Her eyes met his and she shivered at the look of pure ardour he was giving her. Jet felt intense attraction flare within her no one had ever looked at her like that before. She swallowed before finding enough sense to speak, "Well don't just stand there. Get out!"**

**Callen closed the door quickly, his mind buzzing with white nose. Taking a deep breath, he leant against the cool sandstone wall. Clothes still in his arms he closed his eyes, but smartly opened them when he realised all he could see was Jet standing before him practically naked. He put the palm of his hand to his forehead and sighed. He needed a date, a one night stand, something to get Jet out of his system. **

**Hearing footsteps he looked up to see Sam approaching. Dressed in a black suit sans a tie, the taller man grinned, "G my man you're taking longer to get ready than Kensi." **

**Callen chuckled, "Somewhere to change is a commodity. Everyone else is in the usual places." Sam nodded, "Deeks just jumped in the one I was using." **

**He looked at Callen and tilted his head towards the old change room, "That's taken?" Callen nodded, "Jet's in there."**

**Sam chuckled patting Callen on the shoulder, "If she's anything like Kensi she'll be a while."**

**Callen grinned in agreement, "Let's grab a coffee. I think we could both use the caffeine hit." **

**They both walked towards the kitchenette and Sam sighed, "Looks like its going to be a long night." **

**Callen snickered before he could stop himself. Sam had no idea, being close to Jet all night. Pretending to be her boyfriend, pretending to be something he really wanted to be. It wouldn't be hard, but afterwards. Callen sighed. Hetty had made the decision, not that he'd been adverse to the idea. Deeks would have been the only other reasonable choice, but he was glad that no one had suggested him. Jet would have probably killed him and it would have been torture for Callen. The mere thought of Deeks touching her that way, was enough to drive him crazy. **

**Callen sighed and draped his clothes over the back of a chair as Sam put a cup of coffee in front of him. Distracted, he hadn't even realised that Sam had started making the coffee. **

**Sam noticed his lack of focus, the intimidating man sat across from him. "So G what's going on?"**

**Callen looked up from his coffee keeping his face as straight as he could, "Nothing."**

**Sam snickered, "Don't try and play me G. I know you too well." Callen sighed and scratched his head. Sam was bound to notice something sooner or later. Best to deal with all the questions now before Sam involved Nate or Hetty. Before he could formulate an answer, Sam spoke again.**

"**This has something to do with Jet doesn't it?" **

**Callen nodded, "There's just something about her, I can't seem to get her out of my head."**

**Sam frowned, "G I'm all for you getting' a girl but that one has enough baggage to fill a cargo plane."**

**Callen took a huge gulp of his coffee, thoughtfully. He couldn't deny that it was obvious Jet had issues. Maybe it was enough for her to understand him and his own issues.**

**Sam finished off his own coffee, "You don't need me to tell you that you've gotta keep your head in the game."**

**Callen nodded as he stood and put their empty cups in the sink, "I better go get dressed before Hetty sees me."**

**Jet waited, well hid in the change room until the last moment before making her way to the bullpen. Sam noticed her first, he turned towards her and nodded. Jet didn't really mind Sam that much, she didn't like him but she didn't hate him either. She got the impression that provided she was a capable agent and she could take care of the team he didn't care if she had two heads.**

**Sam stepped backwards and Jet saw Callen waiting for her. She hesitated dressed in a tux, he was gorgeous, sexy. Her heart went into overdrive, how on earth was she going to stay away from him all night? He probably even smelt great; she could just imagine nuzzling his neck until she was drunk on his spicy masculine smell. Jet took a deep breath, she was going undercover as Estelle Simon-Clark her NY alias. Callen was going to be James Davis her new boyfriend. She could do this, she would do this.**

**Callen watched as Jet rolled her eyes in Deeks direction as the blonde agent leered at her appreciatively, "You look amazing!" He felt a sense of satisfaction at Jet's dismissal and felt the corners of his mouth quirk in a smile.**

**Their eyes met briefly, Callen did his best to appear indifferent to her appearance, but the sight of her took his breath away. He always found her beautiful, but tonight in that dress and the way the material draped around her, she looked like a dream. She was ethereal, like a goddess. **

**Hetty handed her a small calibre pistol, which she tucked into her small clutch. The gun was followed by an earwig. Callen watched as Jet slipped the comms into her ear and concealed it with a section of loose hair. He was amazed with the way Jet seemed to be completely calm. **

**Callen watched with surprise as Jet reached out and brushed her hand across his shoulder smoothly. Her eyes met his somewhat shyly and unmoving until someone in the background cleared their throat. Jet looked away from him quickly. "There was a piece of fluff on his suit," she told no one in particular.**

**The party was excessive and luxurious. The house was spatial in marble and gilded furniture. Jet personally thought the excess was selfish and shallow. But among this crowd everyone had a reputation and appearance to maintain. It was everything. Waiters in dark suits served expensive champagne with permanent grins. **

**Callen urged Jet forward into the mass of hedonistic people talking and laughing with his hand resting in the curve of her back. They moved sides pressed against each other. Both were enjoying the closeness and neither ready to admit their growing attraction out loud. With experienced eyes they both scanned the party crowd. **

**Callen noticed Lucy Eades first, she was sitting towards the back of the room surrounded by friends. He bent his head to Jet's ear. Callen hesitated, momentarily thrown by the seductive scent of her perfume. Jet shivered at the head sensation of Callen's breath on her neck, "Lucy Eades at the back of the room on our left." Jet nodded and spoke over the music she looked up at Callen and smiled, "Well let's go and give our best wishes to the birthday girl."**

**Lucy Eades was tiny and fragile. Smaller and skinner than Jet, Lucy had a pretty birdlike figure. Callen glanced at Jet from the corner of his eye. Jet was in possession of a greater beauty in his eyes. There was something that set Jet apart. She appeared delicate, but she had this aura of strength and a cast iron will. Jet was a survivor, whatever it took.**

**Jet smiled as Lucy looked up at them from her chair. Callen was a little surprised to see that Lucy was excited to see Jet. "Estelle! I'm so glad that you came."**

**Lucy air kissed Jet on the cheeks. In New York Lucy had been the only real person she'd made time for. Jet made it clear that her past was off limits and Lucy was fine with that. In a dark green dress with sequins, Lucy reminded Jet of the green fairy. She looked Callen over and gave Jet a knowing look. In New York she was constantly nagging Jet about getting a boyfriend and couldn't fathom why she wasn't interested. Lucy had even attempted to set her up once, Jet shivered at the memory. Callen noticed and slipped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his warmth.**

"**So who's this Essie?"**

**Jet smiled at up Callen and introduced him, "This is James."**

**Lucy and Callen shook hands warmly. They both wished her a happy birthday, as Jet moved the conversation towards the goal of the undercover mission. **

"**So how has you father been?" Lucy's brow furrowed, "He's been a little stressed out lately…" she let the sentence hang as she glanced around aimlessly, "He's had a work emergency and he'll be back later."**

**Lucy reached out and touched Jet's arm lightly, and then glanced up at Callen, "You should say hello and introduce your beau to him." Lucy gave Callen a small smile, "Dad absolutely adores Essie. He says that she's made of Kevlar and well I'm sure he'd love meeting you."**

**Lucy's attention was diverted from the conversation to something unseen behind them. Callen and Jet both turned slightly to see an older gentleman waving at the birthday girl.**

**Lucy gave Jet a hug, which she didn't enjoy and air kissed her cheek again still smiling. "Excuse me, but I'd better go and say hello to my uncle. Grab yourselves a drink and have some fun." She glanced at Callen on last time before she flittered through the crowd to greet her relative, "Nice meeting you!" **

**Callen slipped his in hand in Jet's and pulled her close. Jet laughed happily, it was allowed since she wasn't Jet. Tonight she was Estelle the happy go lucky trust fund brat. Jet would remember this night forever. Being this close to Callen was so dreamy, even if it was all fake. **

**Unable and unwilling to resist Callen brushed his lips along Jet's earlobe, he could hold her like this every day. "We've got some time to kill." Callen paused brushing his thumb along her cheek his blue eyes on hers, "care to join me for a drink?"**

**Jet caught the playful gleam in his shining blue eyes, it was infectious. Jet slipped her hand between them and let it rest on his chest, he felt so warm, so inviting. She let her palm travel further up Callen's chest; she caressed his lips with her finger. Delighting in the way his breath hitched, she reached up and circled his neck with her hands. Rubbing her thumb on the nape of his neck, she licked her lips unconsciously enthralling him. Jet wanted to kiss him so badly and it would be so easy to give into the temptation. But she resisted instead whispering in his ear, "I would love a drink."**

**Callen heard Jet laugh as he opened his mouth wordlessly and could only watch as she walked away towards the bar. He rubbed a hand over his face, his heart throbbing, he watched the way her hips swayed and was sure that the extra sass was there especially for him. Callen grinned and began to meander through the crowd.**

**When she reached the bar, Jet made herself comfortable on a barstool. She ordered herself a glass of red wine and a beer for Callen. Jet sighed as the friendly bartender poured her drop of red. What was it about Callen? There was something special about him, Jet was sure. Never had another person's touch felt so good, so right. **

**Sensing someone looming behind her, who didn't exude the same aura as Callen, she prepared herself to attack if it became necessary. "Well if it isn't Estelle my favourite little psychopathic peach." **

**Jet automatically tensed as one of the people she regretted meeting in New York, one of the people she hated the most put his hands on her shoulders. His fingers massaged her neck. He didn't hurt her, but his touch was enough to make the bile rise in her stomach. She shrugged his hands away, "Leave me alone Matt!" **

**Jet hated trust fund brats, so much money and good favour. They thought they could get away with anything. Jet clenched her fists, her knuckles like snow. She wanted more than anything to turn around and smash her wine glass in his face. **


	6. Saviour

**Chapter Six – Saviour**

**Matt tried to drunkenly grope her and Jet pushed him away. Her patience being tested to the limit, she resisted the urge to break his jaw. Matt stumbled, his suit dishevelled, "You bitch you'll regret this!" **

**Callen appeared in time to offer Jet a friendly hand and helped her down off the stool. He automatically urged her behind him, shielding her with his body. "You shouldn't be treating women like that."**

**Matt laughed sending spittle flying, "Woman, they're only good for one thing. Sooner you learn that the better."**

**Callen's rage began to boil inside him. He didn't like anything about this situation, nothing. He hated the way this fool touched Jet, made her uncomfortable and disrespected her. Callen never wanted to punch anyone more, "I want you to apologise to my girlfriend now."**

**Jet attempted to stand beside Callen but he gently pushed her behind him again. He did it subconsciously to protect Jet, as Matt stumbled towards her, "I will never say sorry to that crazy bitch." **

**Unable to break cover Callen was about to call over Sam, who was undercover as a security guard with a nod of his head. When another security guard inserted himself into the furore, "Mr Dulane I'm going to ask you to apologise to Miss Simon-Clark and then I'll assist you in leaving the premises."**

**Matt tried to push past him, but the security guard seized his wrist tightly fingers compressing a pressure point. Matt let out a silent scream, but regained composure long enough to register the dark look in the security guards eyes.**

**Without any other choice, Matt apologised his voice wavering, "I…I'm sorry Estelle."**

**The security guard nodded in their direction and Jet finally got a good look at his face. He had black hair, much like hers and familiar brown eyes. Jet was surprised as his gaze landed on her with an air of sentimentality, but it soon as it appeared it went and they did too. Matt looking like the security guard's vice-like grip had sobered him some.**

**Callen finally let Jet return to his side and she felt slightly confused by his motives for defending her. She returned to their drinks, deciding that she wouldn't let her confusion ruin the time she had to be the person who could let Callen close.**

**Callen smiled as her took his beer from the bar, "How did you know I'd prefer beer?"**

**Jet sampled the bouquet of her and sipped it slowly, "Call it an educated guess."**

**Callen took a gulp of the cold brew, looking at Jet he smiled. It made his knees week when she smiled at him and he wondered why she didn't smile more. Jet's smile disappeared as he took the wine glass from her hands and set it back on the bar beside his beer. She was silent as Callen took up her wrist in his hand, his thumb dusting across her smooth skin. The sensation made her quiver in the most delightful way.**

"**Come dance with me." Callen asked quietly. He didn't like dancing, he thought it was pretentious. Dancing wasn't what he was thinking about right now. The woman before him, touching her, being close to her was at the forefront of his mind. His purpose at the party, questioning Cameron Eades was a distant second. **

**He had been expecting Jet to push him away. So when she stepped towards him and nodded slightly, it seemed too good to be true. **

**They made their way towards the dance floor where Jet looped her arms around Callen's neck. He responded with a lazy smile and wrapt his arms around her waist. He closed his eyes briefly to enjoy the assault on his senses. The way her delicate curves pressed against his body. Her smell was intoxicating and there was nothing like it.**

"**Are you having a good time?" she heard Callen ask. Jet replied with a non-committal shrug and let her head rest on his shoulder. **

**They moved together with the music slowly. Jet had never experienced anything like this. She liked having her body close to his hard masculine one. Jet didn't feel repulsed by him, the opposite was true. She was very much attracted to Callen. Jet even caught herself thinking about him in ways she had never thought about a man. She thought about kissing him, in her imagination he tasted spicy and it felt pleasant. She thought about what it would be like to have him in her bed. **

**Slowly she lifted her head from his shoulder and looked at Callen. She gave him a small smile, only this time it was really Jet smiling and not Jet pretending to be someone else.**

**Callen twirled her in his strong arms and the cream room blurred for a second. Callen laughed seeing her smile widen, made him light and carefree. He cupped her face in his rough hands. Callen leant in towards her and rubbed the tip of his nose against hers, "You're so beautiful when you smile." It was so softly spoken that Jet wasn't quite sure she heard him.**

**The flicker was small in the corner of Jet's eye, but it was enough to catch her attention and tear her eyes from Callen's. She looked up. On the marble staircase the security guard who had thrown Matt out earlier was standing there. Callen turned slightly to see what had captured Jet's attention as the security guard whipped out a gun.**

**Adrenaline pumped through Jet's veins, she heard Callen yell, "Gun!" Jet knocked him to the cold marble floor, as two gun shots echoed loudly. **

**Chaos reined, people screamed and rushed for cover. Between the commotion Jet saw Cameron Eades fall to the ground. Seeing the gunman flee, she pushed herself up from Callen's chest. Jet didn't give him a chance to say anything, "Cameron." **

**Quickly, she slipped her stilettos off and began pursuit. Jet took the hard marble stairs two at a time, pulling the gun from her purse as she went.**

**Jet reached the hallway just in time to witness the vague impression of a person on the stairs to the viewing platform. She heard crying and as Jet stepped out onto the platform she saw why. **

**The gunman had a young waitress as a human shield. Jet aimed her weapon with conviction, "Let the girl go. She has nothing to do with this." **

**The gunman ignored her, "I was hoping you would follow me. I've wanted to see you again since I saw you at Darlinghurst's flat." **

**The waitress whimpered loudly and Jet ignored her pleas, "Why is that?" The next words threw her completely in her native tongue, Croatian there was absolutely no mistaking them. **

"**You are my little sister Lejla, my Lela."**

**Lela was her brother's pet name for her. It had been since the say she was born, when her brother failed to pronounce her name. Jet regained her composure as quickly as she could, "let the girl go and we'll talk about it."**

**The gunman shook his head, "Sorry but I think you'll shoot me as soon as I do."**

**Jet smiled gently knowing his assumption was right, the waitress whimpered again. "I know you don't believe me."**

**The sound of sirens came towards them and their red and blue lights flickered against the trees in the garden. The guard glanced in the direction of the driveway and continued, "I'll prove it to you Lela. I thought you were gone. But I've found you again and I'll prove it."**

**Jet shrugged she still wasn't convinced. It happened quickly the guard pushed the waitress forward and into Jet. They both fell to the ground. Jet pushed the woman off her and jumped to her feet. The gunman leapt over the railing. She rushed towards the edge as the rope disappeared over the hand rail. Jet cursed loudly as the gunman vanished into the shadows of the gardens. She had no shot.**

**It took Callen a spilt second to push himself up from the hard floor. He retrieved his pistol and his badge from it concealment under his tux jacket. Ignoring the murmurs and cries from the people, Callen quickly checked the balconies for danger. It was clear; he tucked his gun into the waistband of his pants. He dropped to his knees beside Cameron Eades. Callen exhaled, it wasn't good. He'd been shot twice in the head and there was absolutely no chance that he could survive his injuries. He checked Cameron's pulse as more of a formality than anything else. **

**Callen heard Kensi and Deeks in his comm's securing the exit points on the property with the assistance of the LAPD. He saw Sam, "Cover things here. I'm going after Jet." Sam nodded and began reassuring the party guests, including a hysterical Lucy Eades who returned from the bathroom to find her father dead.**

**Callen rushed up the stairs, gun out. He silently prayed that no harm had come to Jet. Hearing crying, he followed the sound cautiously through the back of the house and up the stairs to the viewing platform. **

**Quickly he made sure that the gunman wasn't there. He noticed the waitress in a dishevelled heap on the sandstone face in her hands sobbing. **

**Jet was leaning against the railing gun gripped in her hand. She looked up and saw Callen standing there, with his suit crushed and dishevelled. Jet thought he looked even sexier than usual, if that was possible. She looked down at her dress in disgust. The gunman who killed Corporal Darlinghurst, possibly Cameron Eades and claimed to be her long lost brother had escaped and all she could think about was bloody G Callen. She sighed, and asked about Eades, even though she knew it probably wasn't good, "Cameron?"**

**Callen shook his head, as he knelt beside the waitress. He touched the young girl's shoulder, she didn't appear to be much older than 21. The girl threw her arms around Callen and he patted her back awkwardly.**

**Jet rolled her eyes in annoyance. Sometimes she hated women, she really did. They could be so melodramatic. Why did she have to be all over Callen anyway, like she was some damsel in distress that needed saving. It was offensive to women everywhere that she was being so ridiculous. The brat wasn't even hurt.**

**Callen looked up at her in a passing glance as Jet floated past him. She said nothing seemingly unaffected by the recent death of Cameron Eades.**


	7. Clueless

_**Thanks for all the reviews. It means so much to read that you're enjoying my little story. Also to the lurking readers who've added me to their alerts or favourites. Thank you, but feel free to make my day and leave me a review. No matter how short. **_

**Chapter Seven - Clueless**

**Jet padded down the hallway bare foot, she squeezed the thick carpet between her toes. Cameron was dead. She hated that he was dead. Jet didn't feel a huge amount of affection for him, but knew that Lucy would take it hard. **

**She saw uniformed police organising the remaining guests, so statements could be taken. Sam was busy overseeing crime scene procedure.**

**As she descended the stairs, she noticed Lucy being consoled by a woman in a gaudy pink dress. Jet felt bad, losing your father was terrible. She knew that better than anyone. Despite knowing better, Lucy had grown on her and Jet found herself liking the lithe ballet dancer.**

**Slipping her stilettos back on, Jet walked towards Sam. The towering African-American looked over at her and a normal person would think he looked intimidating with a serious visage and dressed in a black suit. Jet wasn't your average person, she cleared her throat delicately and Sam gave her his full attention. "It's necessary for me to maintain my cover," Sam nodded and Jet continued, "I'll talk to Lucy find out what I can." Sam nodded again and tilted his head towards the police and crime scene technicians crowded around what Jet assumed was Cameron's body. "He didn't stand a chance, looks to me like a double tap to the head. Shooter's a skilled marksman. It was quick and organised."**

**Jet nodded she had expected as much. Sam wasn't fond of her, yet he tried to lessen the blow of Cameron's death by letting her know it was quick. **

**To Jet it didn't matter if it was a quick death, it was completely inconsequential. "I'm going to stay with Lucy," she fiddled with the hem of her dress. What she was going to say to her, she had no idea.**

"**There's a secondary crime scene upstairs. Callen and a witness are on the scene." Sam nodded and turned towards a crime scene technician and relayed the information. The tech nodded as Sam returned his attention to the woman beside him. **

**Jet sighed, "and tell Callen I'll be available on my mobile so he doesn't give himself a coronary." To her surprise Sam chuckled, "I'll tell you a secret the only reason G's rough on you is 'cause he likes you." If Jet had been shocked by Sam's laughter, she was floored by his last comment. Her brain whirled, Callen liked her. Nothing registered, her heart hammered in her chest. When Jet looked up, Sam had returned to directing the police around him. Except now he had a small quirk of a grin in the corner of his mouth.**

**Jet walked towards Lucy in a daze. She didn't understand what it meant when someone liked you. How was she supposed to behave? She repeated Callen's name silently letting the letters linger in her mouth. A tiny smile curved on her lips, she liked the way the consonants danced along her lips. Jet looked down at Lucy and frowned, the normally bright woman wasn't herself. Her head was in her hands and her shoulders were slumped as her body was rocked with sobs.**

"**Hey Lucy," the woman looked up and Jet suddenly felt terrible. Lucy's eyes were red, their lids were puffy. Her appearance was awful, she was vulnerable. Jet frowned women like Lucy were never supposed to experience violence like this. She reached out and took up her friend's hand in her own, "come on, you don't need to be here. Let's go to the kitchen and make you a nice cup of tea."**

**Once Callen spotted the LAPD agent and crime scene investigator over the woman's shoulder, he gently pulled the waitress from the viewing platform. Her breathing was still laboured, but at least she had stopped crying. They went down the stairs, the waitress gripping his shoulder tightly. She was intent on saying as close to him as she could. Since she wasn't injured, just shaken, Callen left her in the charge of a capable LAPD officer.**

**Looking up he noticed Jet leaving the ballroom with Lucy. He took a moment to appreciate the way the light shone in her eyes, the way her dress hugged the curves of her body. It was a mesmerising sight. **

**Callen turned to find Sam, "Hey big guy." Sam didn't answer as there was a commotion of crime scene technicians and Callen's gaze followed them to the closest exit. "What's going on Sam?" The taller man frowned, "Kensi and Deeks were checking the perimeter of the house. They found something they weren't expecting." Callen nodded with interest and a small grin, "yeah what was that?" Sam's face was nondescript. "'member that guy who was giving your girl a hard time. He was found in the garden with the back of his head bashed in."**

**Callen rubbed his hand over his face. He was surprised yet weary, his earlier conclusion was correct. It was going to be a long night. **

**Callen was irritable he got no sleep last night, which wasn't really a new development. He figured most of his irritability could be attributed to two things. 1. Sexual frustrations but he would never ever admit that to anyone. 2. This case was heading nowhere. **

**The cause of his sexual frustration arrived at 9:30am looking as calm, collected and beautiful as ever. Jet was dressed in dark jeans and an AC/DC t-shirt, which only made him like her more. **

**Jet dumped her bag and the newspaper she had tucked under her arm on her desk. She noticed Callen sitting at his own desk, leaning back in his chair. He was dressed in the same clothes he was wearing yesterday. Jet knew that he had not been home. There were dark circles under his eyes. They were subtle but Jet saw them, she had the urge to embrace him, but managed to refrain. She had no idea what to say to him. Her limbs felt shaky and Jet felt incredibly shy. Jet had enjoyed being undercover with him too much last night. It was okay for Estelle Simon-Clark to be close to Callen, she was better than Jet and she wasn't broken. **

**Callen wanted her to look at him. He starred at her back as she moved to the kitchenette. He wanted her to acknowledge him he thought he'd made progress last night. He was confused and frustrated, so frustrated. Maybe it was just the job and it meant nothing to her. **

**Silently she made coffee in the clean but small kitchen. Jet smiled to herself as she felt him watching her. She didn't find it creepy, in fact she found herself becoming more accustomed to his presence. The prospect she found frightening was the way she was getting used to the emotions that Callen inspired in her. It was dangerous her head told her, something deep inside her, was it her heart? Some part of her couldn't make her hate him. It wouldn't let her.**

**Callen watched as Jet reached up to get her cup off the shelf. The t-shirt rode up her back, exposing a slither of porcelain skin. How he would adore caressing the smooth warm skin or to place a kiss to the curve of her lower back, it would be a type of paradise. The thought of feeling the goose-bumps of pleasure rising on her skin was feverish. He felt warmth sneaking through his body and it settled in his lap. **

**Jet heard Callen clear his throat uncomfortably and she turned to glance at him over her shoulder. He was behaving strangely today. She sipped and savoured the first taste of her coffee. **

**Jet turned around and to Callen's surprise she had two cups of coffee in her hands. He was speechless as she placed one mug in front of him. Jet looked at him like he was a moron, sitting there with his mouth hanging open. She sat down at her immaculate desk. He watched as she flicked the newspaper open on her desk. Callen looked down at his coffee, not sure what it meant that Jet had been considerate enough to think of him. Callen looked up at her again, was she beginning to care about him? Was he wrong? Had last night meant more than the job?**

"**What's this?" he asked her, simply because he wanted to hear Jet's voice. "Its vomit," she looked up at him irritated by the interruption, "it's fresh I made it all of five seconds ago." Callen chuckled at her sarcasm. "Wow! Freshly made just for me and you hacked it up so silently." He saw Jet roll her eyes at the newsprint. "I'm nice like that," she deadpanned and Callen laughed loudly. "Are you this kind to all your friends?" Jet was stoic as she flicked the next page of the broadsheet. Her voice was soft, "I don't have any." Callen was shocked by her admission, "isn't Lucy your friend?" Jet shook her head, "She's Estelle's friend." Callen frowned, like him she had no family. It was a lonely existence the thought of Jet all alone made him his heart sink. He was suddenly grateful for the friends he had, the team, the friends he knew he could trust. Callen wanted to become that someone for Jet.**

"**I checked the security cameras from the arrival of the security guards, half an hour before the first guests came in. I also screened through out the party and for half an hour after the shooting just in case." Jet heard Eric sigh, "nada no clear shots of the shooter. I'll work on enhancing the best one ASAP." **

**Jet watched as Callen sipped the remains of his coffee. Catching her eye he gave her a roguish grin which made her direct her gaze towards the titled floor of the ops room. She felt self-conscious as her heart hammered in her chest. **

**Sam threw Callen a curious glance before he asked about the other murder, "Is there any video of the other victim Matthew Dulane after the security guard aka the shooter escorts him from the party?"**

**Jet had gotten a phone call from Sam around 1am that morning to inform her that the man who had bothered her last night had been found deceased. The body had been dumped behind a large gardenia bush, missing the back of its skull.**

**Like the rest of the team, Jet was surprised. "There's some footage of them leaving the house," Eric brought the footage up on the big screen. "Basically Dulane seems a little drunk all in all too smashed to be violent."**

**Deeks nodded, "besides that our assassin would surely be skilled enough to handle a fool like that guy." Jet wasn't sure if Deeks was having a go at her finally admitting her initial assessment had been correct, so she said nothing.**

**Kensi leant against the table computer and frowned. "So why kill him and risk exposing yourself before you kill Eades, unless of course Eades wasn't the real target?"**

**Jet shook her head, "I don't think so. Using a small garden statue to bash in someone's skull doesn't scream organisation or professionalism. It seems rash. Spur of the moment." **

**Nate nodded vigorously in agreement, "Jet's right. It's like he was intensely angry and snapped."**

**Kensi looked over at Eric, "Crime scene photos." Eric brought up the photos involving the murder of the younger man. **

**Jet nodded to herself as the violence became larger than life on the big screen. She couldn't feel sorry for him, even when his dead eyes and blood spattered face were staring at her. He'd always been a womanising prig. If she was being honest she would have whacked him over the head herself, had he not been an infamous New York socialite. **

**Callen watched the dark look on Jet's face and he knew that last night wasn't the first time she had encountered Matthew Dulane. That much hate wasn't inspired by a short conversation.**

**Jet felt the familiar tingle on her skin that came with Callen's eyes on her and she turned on him, "What?" The tech room fell silent and all eyes were watching the spectacle. **

**Callen grinned rocking on his heels, "I was just wondering if you ever made him a mug of vomit…" **

**Jet stepped towards Callen slowly, who the hell did he think she was? She wasn't some whore who threw herself at every man she saw. "What exactly are you implying?" **

**Callen shrugged roguishly, "Nothing at all. Was just wondering if you'd met him before last night?" **

**Jet scowled, and looked over at the crime scene photos. "Yes I'd met him before and no I didn't know that he would be making an appearance last night." **

**Callen sighed finding her lack of elaboration frustrating, "What was he like?"**

**Jet made a sound of disgust which wasn't lost on Callen. She hated Matt and hated being forced to talk about him. "He was a New York snob who enjoyed the luxuries of his Daddy's good name and money." She looked up at Callen with blackness in her eyes, "I'm not surprised someone bashed his head in, he had it coming believe me."**

**Callen watched as she folded her arms and turned her body away from him. It was subtle but he understood the message clearly, the conversation was over.**

**Jet looked at Eric, "Do you have any details on the gun used in the Eades shooting?" Eric nodded, "Forensics matched the bullet which killed Cameron Eades with a gun found on the scene." Kensi piped up, "Gun got a history Eric?" The computer tech shook his head, "Gun's clean, no prints, serial number filed off and it hasn't been used in any other shootings."**

**Jet sighed impatiently, the shooter, possibly her brother had already shown that he was capable of being professional and efficient. It didn't make sense that he would kill Matt impulsively and then shoot Cameron Eades escaping in the panic. It lacked the finesse of the Darlinghurst murder. **

"**It doesn't make sense. Why kill Matt? And why blow away Eades in public? It's risky. I mean about 150 people saw his face and he could have been caught by security." **

**Jet looked up at Deeks voice. It did seem strange that her supposed brother had killed Matt. The public death of Eades was simply a means to get her attention. What purpose did killing Matt serve? There was none that Jet could see, unless…did she dare think it. Had her brother killed Matt for her to defend her honour, because the way he'd treated her made him angry? **

**Jet pulled the drawing she'd done of her hypothetical brother, the shooter after she left Lucy's last night. Inwardly she groaned, things had just reached the thermosphere of complicated. **

**Callen watched as Jet studied a piece of paper in her hands. The pale skin of her forehead was creased in a frown a battle seemed to play out behind the depths of the absinthe eyes Callen liked so much. Worry settled and felt heavy on his shoulders, something wasn't right with her. He closed his eyes briefly and imagined Jet caring enough to massage the knots from his shoulders. He flicked them open again before he could get carried away by the thought.**

**Jet looked down at the drawing of her theoretical brother and dusted her fingers across the graphite line of his jaw. Was she really about to set a federal agency on her brother? Did she have a choice? Not exactly, it was the only way she could find out more about him. Find out more about him, if what he told her was true and he really was her brother. If he wasn't he needed to be caught.**

**Callen saw Jet scratch at her hairline as Sam elbowed him, he wasn't paying attention. The elbow didn't do much to assert his concentration. He'd noticed that Jet messed her hairline when she was anxious. **

**Jet looked down at the drawing not at all concerned by the goings on around her. Drawing was hers alone, no one else's. No one knew she did this, it was her release, her coping strategy, and it wasn't shared with anyone. Not even Devlin with whom she was quite close. Callen watched Jet swallow deeply he fought the urge to embrace her and promise to protect her. Knowing that she wouldn't welcome it and it wasn't appropriate in their current environment. He could only observe as a resolve dawned on her as she committed to whatever decision she had made unwaveringly. **

**Jet handed Eric the piece of paper and the room watched as his eyes widened dramatically. "Did you draw this?" he asked with amazement. Jet ignored his question as a curious Callen looked over Eric's shoulder and then up at Jet with surprise. In Eric's hands was a drawing so realistic, that at first glance it could be mistaken for a photograph. The others soon joined Callen, eyes on the drawing and then on her. They were all surprised that someone so acidic could create something so beautiful. "Why on Earth are you an undercover agent and not an artist?" Deeks blurted. Jet's shoulders became still and Callen noticed she was uncomfortable with the attention, but hid it behind indifference. **

**Jet's gaze became focused on Eric, "I was thinking about this last night. If you scanned it and ran it through a filter you may be able to run it through a facial recognition program. Do you think it would work?" Eric nodded enthusiastically excited by the idea of trying something new, "I'm not sure how it'll work but it's worth a shot. We may not get a direct hit but it should limit the suspects dramatically."**

**Jet rewarded Eric with a small smile, "Great let me know how it goes. If you make it work, the next case of your favourite brew is one me." Callen could tell by the look on Eric's face that he was floored by Jet's behaviour, as were the others. Jet continued as if she didn't notice, "Also I'd appreciate it if I can get the drawing back when you're done." Eric nodded, "I'll get on it."**


	8. Lost

**I know this chapter has been a long time coming. I've had lots of trouble getting motivated to write more of my NCIS:LA fiction. It certainly hasn't helped that I've been distracted by CSI:NY and plot devils (they're devils not bunnies…because bunnies don't evilly demand that you write something which is distracting) which led me to mess with an attempt to begin a CSI:NY fiction. **

**But alas! Here is a Callen/Jet update. I've made it extra long to appease you all. **

**Also…Don't forget to make my day and leave me a review, even if it's one sentence. It will no word of a lie make me practically wet myself with excitement like a little puppy.**

Chapter Eight – Lost

Jet was on her way to the old change room, when Hetty bailed her up. She would have felt aggravated except she was in such a state of emotional confusion.

"Miss Strakosha we need to have a chat." Hetty smiled suspiciously, "come and join me for a cup of tea."

Jet sighed whatever Hetty wanted to talk about wasn't going to be good. Matthew Dulane was dead. Did Hetty want to talk about that? Her heart thumped. The stupid waitress didn't blab about the conversation she had with her apparent brother the assassin, did she? No. The silly girl was hysterical. Jet wouldn't be surprised if it was the first time she'd seen a gun that wasn't on television. The girl couldn't possibly remember what her brother had said. Hetty looked up at her with a stern look on her face.

"Well are you coming Jet?"

Jet nodded and followed Hetty into her office. The formidable woman must have been waiting for her, because a cup of tea was made for both of them. Jet sat in the lounge chair silently.

"You did well undercover with Mr Callen."

Jet frowned wary of Hetty's motives. She sipped her tea slowly.

"Was that a question Hetty?"

The older woman looked at her over the top of her glasses and shook her head.

"It's just something to think about."

Jet finished her tea and lowered the cup and its saucer to the tray sitting on Hetty's desk.

"If that's all, I've got paperwork to do."

Hetty nodded as Jet got up from the comfort of the chair. Hetty's final words spoken as Jet was practically out the door were strangely quiet and seemed like an after thought, but Jet knew better.

"It's Mr Callen's birthday tomorrow."

Jet wondered out of Hetty's office still in a haze. The tea had helped but she still felt off. Her fingers found her hair and scratched her scalp. She squeezed the strap of her messenger bag in the fist of her free hand as she made a detour of the bull pen. Jet needed peace and quiet to think about what she was going to do next. She pushed the door to the old dressing room open and settled on her favourite corner of the wooden bench.

Callen pushed the dressing room door open, careful not to spill the coffee from the mugs in his hands. He saw Jet life her head from her knees which were pushed up against her chest. She said nothing.

He noticed that her eyes were glassy and tinged with red. Callen swallowed the lump in his throat and pretended that he hadn't.

Jet wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her jacket quickly. She hated that that Callen was seeing her vulnerable.

He handed her the coffee and sat on the wooden bench across from hers. There was a beat of silence before Callen's voice reverberated through the room.

"It's vomit. Fresh, just for you."

Despite her apathetic mood, Jet found herself smiling into her mug. She heard Callen laugh and the sound was nice.

"How very considerate of you…"

It was supposed to be deadpan, but Callen saw her red lips curl upwards and there was a warmer intonation in her voice. It was slight, but it was there. It was enough to put a smile on Callen's face.

Jet wrapped her hands around the coffee mug tightly. Sipping the sweet liquid she was surprised to find that it was made exactly how she liked it.

Feeling timid she glanced at Callen from behind her knees. His complexion seemed brighter that it had yesterday. His blue eyes were occupied by something, lost in thought against the tiles.

Jet cleared her throat gently and wiggled her bottom against the bench uncomfortably. Callen's gaze turned to her quickly. She seemed so fragile pressed up against the corner of the room the way she was. Jet had never seen Callen so distracted before and she was worried about him.

"Are you…" she paused. Jet wasn't the kind of person who asked how people were. His blue eyes focused on her gave her a jolt. Jet bit her lip, as she turned her eyes from him and back to her coffee.

"Why are you here Callen?"

Callen lent forward resting his elbows on his knees, he peered at Jet closely. This was the first time she had used his name. For some reason the way she said it so softly, carefully. It made him feel special.

Jet knew calling Callen by his name had been a mistake. As soon as the attractive older agent leant towards her and focused on her. She hadn't meant to use his name. A person's name had a certain power, it was an old superstition. But Jet believed it. It was part of the reason she changed her name after she left Bosnia. She didn't like the power her old name had over her. The way Callen was looking at her, she knew that something had changed between them. It was intangible, but Jet couldn't deny it.

"You called me by my name." Callen smiled, Jet liked it when he smiled it made his blue eyes light up. Unwittingly, she had pleased him and she enjoyed it. She shrugged and sipped her coffee. It was the only way she could trust her lips not to betray her by curling upwards at the delight in his voice. But Callen didn't let it go.

"You've never done that before."

Jet was shocked that Callen noticed. Part of her liked that he paid attention to her and listened when she spoke. She shuffled on the bench in her unease and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"What do you want?"

"I wanted to make sure you're okay." He sipped his coffee and Jet frowned.

"Why wouldn't I be?" she snapped.

Callen flinched backwards and Jet immediately felt bad. There was silence until Jet found the courage to speak again, so softly Callen had to strain to hear her.

"I'm fine," she hesitated, "um, how are you?" Callen chuckled lightly, her wavering was adorable.

"Yeah, I'm good." He put his mug on the bench beside him and rubbed his hands over his knees.

"Jet two people that you know were killed."

Callen debated what to say next. He didn't want Jet to pull away, to get up and leave.

Jet sighed, Callen was concerned about her. It was a foreign experience on she wasn't acquainted with. A strange feeling settled inside her. She looked him and down. How on Earth he managed to look so enticing in jeans and a t-shirt Jet had no idea.

Callen waited for Jet to answer him but she wasn't listening to him. Instead she was, dare he think it, checking him out. He smiled enjoying the idea she found him attractive. Jet shook her head.

"Sorry what did you say?"

"I said it's okay to be upset. No one would think less of you."

"I'm fine."

Jet wasn't sure Callen believed her, but he dropped the subject so she didn't care.

"I also need to ask you about what happened between you and Matt Dulane while you were in New York."

Jet frowned she knew Callen's interest was too good to be true. Of course there was a motive behind his apparent kindness.

"Why do you need to know?" She asked more harshly than she intended. But Callen wasn't going to be deterred.

He wanted to know because then he wouldn't feel so bad about the death of a man who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He wanted to be able to justify his anger, his loathing for a man he didn't know with something other than jealously. But he didn't tell Jet that.

"I want to know so it can be excluded as a possible motive for his murder." He scratched his head, "It can stay between us. No one else needs to know."

Jet sighed Callen was doing his best to appear relaxed and non-threatening. She couldn't figure him out. First he came into the dressing room being nice, only to ask her about _him _and now he was being nice again by telling her he'd keep it a secret.

A thin band of light was dappled across his face and Jet was fascinated by watching him silently. If she told him about Dulane it would explain the situation at the party. Jet was torn. Part of her wanted to tell him, confide in him like she had no one else. She was scared and it was the scared part that wanted to tell him to go away. Callen would surely hate her if she told him.

Jet heard Callen shuffle his feet on the tile floor.

"I know you probably don't want to talk about this. But I want to hear it from you. I don't want to make you uncomfortable by letting everyone out there privy to the details."

Callen stood up as Jet refused to look at him, he approached her slowly. He purposefully made a slight noise so he didn't startle her.

"I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important. It's either me or someone else."

Jet said nothing she could feel her hands shaking, her heart thumping. She covered her face with her hands and sucked in a shaky breath.

From the way Jet had withdrawn, he gathered that it must be bad.

"I don't need all the details Jet."

Callen sat wordlessly; talking about what ever it was that happened might be good for her. He looked at her intensely, begging her with his eyes to trust him just a little bit. He would do everything in his power to make sure she wouldn't regret it.

Jet could hear Callen's steady breathing and it calmed her. He was staring blankly at the wall, patiently waiting for her to speak not pushing her.

Callen let his fingers make a gentle drumming sound against the bench as he fought the urge to touch her hand. He wanted to comfort her, offer her reassurance and knew it wouldn't be welcomed. His breath caught in his throat as he saw her slender hand move towards his hesitantly. Her fingers grazed the top of his hand. When he moved to take her hand in his, he was disappointed when Jet pulled it away quickly.

Jet moved to the other side of the change room. She focused on everything around her, but refused to look at him. She refused to let him see that he was making her feel vulnerable.

"Did he hurt you Jet?" Callen rubbed his hand over his face, as he spoke softly.

Jet folded her arms across her chest, not missing the way his words had caught in his throat. Nausea spun in her stomach. Callen was concerned about her; he thought that she was the victim. Was he delusional? He'd idealised her and it was going to make everything harder and give her strength she didn't want to lie to him. She felt nervous, overwhelmed and tense. Jet turned to face him, purposefully eluding his gaze and shook her head.

"No." There was a hesitation followed by a stammer, a stammer Jet cursed. She wouldn't be weak and she wouldn't cry.

"I…I…hurt him."

Callen's eyebrows rose in surprise, he certainly wasn't expecting to hear that Jet had been the aggressor. He got up from the bench and approached her with a careful confidence. There was no way he believed that Jet could hurt someone without any provocation. Provocation in her sense of the word had perhaps a wider definition. She could be spookily calm and emotionless. But was she capable of violence without a reason? No.

Jet felt the change in her body as soon as Callen stepped into her atmosphere. She frowned briefly. He stepped into and _not _invaded her personal space.

"Why?"

The way he looked at her, the gentleness in his voice made her want to cry. Desperately she wanted to be someone he deserved, someone with honour like Sam, Kensi or Hetty. Hell even Deeks. So she could at least try to be his friend and maybe hug him just once.

Callen wanted to know why she had hurt Matt. It was simple. She wanted to. Jet peered up at Callen through her eyelashes. Meeting his eyes for the first time in ages Jet shivered. This was it, she'd tell him the truth, and he would hate her. Callen would abandon her. She should be used to it by now, but even after all these years it still hurt.

"When I was in New York Lucy was always bugging Estelle aka me to get a boyfriend." She wrung her hands as she chuckled darkly.

"You know find a guy and have some fun." Callen nodded reaching the only conclusion that made sense.

"Lucy set you up with Dulane?"

"We were dancing at the ridiculous night club. He was walking me home, when we got to my front door. He tried to kiss me goodnight and I…"

Callen took a shaky breath, controlling his anger. The last thing he wanted was to make her think he was angry with her or frighten her.

"Jet its okay you don't have to tell me anymore." He moved to put a comforting hand on her shoulder, but Jet darted away from him again her eyes shining with unfallen tears.

"You don't understand!" Jet accused him loudly. Callen quirked an eyebrow at her sudden anger and said nothing as she retreated back to her corner of the change room bench. She put her arms around her knees, hugging them to her torso.

"I pushed him away. But then his hands, his mouth were all over me. He wouldn't stop. I told him to leave me alone. I told him! I told him!"

Callen sat down beside her careful to give her plenty of space, but the shimmer of a tear on her cheek made him inch closer.

"It's okay Jet. He can't hurt you anymore." Jet shook her head.

"No. I remember his hands, his fingers touching me. And it makes me sick and it makes me so mad. He laughed at me. He laughed. He thought it was funny. People _aren't_ allowed to touch little girls. They _aren't_ allowed to touch me like that its wrong." Jet shook her head dispelling the thoughts to continue with her story.

"…anyway next thing I know I've got his arm twisted behind his back and my knife at his throat. He was begging me not to hurt him. I wanted to hurt him, to make him suffer. I wanted to kill him, I was so mad. I just wanted to slice my knife across his throat and leave him to gargle on his own blood."

Jet was horrified with herself for a moment. She had started telling Callen and then she couldn't stop. She just blurted it all out and now she couldn't take it back. But much to her shock Callen didn't seem disgusted by her admissions.

Callen reached out and swept her hand up in his, heart thumping wildly when Jet didn't pull away. He rubbed her knuckles with his thumb.

"But you didn't kill him. Don't be so hard on yourself Jet." Jet shook her head gently.

"I was so close, so close. I had cut him before I realised what was happening."

Jet was strangely calm now, detached it bothered him. He was expecting her to cry, anyone would after what she'd been through. It was almost as though the assault had happened to someone else and she was so angry because she thought it was wrong. And not because it had in fact happened to her. Callen took a chance and slipped an arm around her shoulders loosely.

"Jet what happened isn't your fault. He sexually assaulted you, no one would blame you for protecting yourself…I don't blame you."

Jet looked up at him. She was suddenly and inexplicably grateful and warmed by his support. Callen pulled her closer to him, his stomach fluttering because Jet was letting him. He heard her sigh into his shoulder as he rubbed her back gently. He felt strong and smelt so comforting. Jet felt him kiss the top of her head and melted with the unaccustomed tenderness of it all.

"I'm sorry that happened to you. You don't deserve to be treated like that. You defended yourself there's nothing wrong with that, nothing at all and certainly nothing to be ashamed of."

Jet felt the guilt rise inside her. He was wrong. She deserved whatever she got because here she was resting her head on this man's shoulder, this good man's shoulder. Callen the man who thought that woman should be treated with respect. He deserved so much better than anything she could ever give him. Callen deserved a beautiful woman, who could love and cherish him completely.

Callen felt Jet swallow deeply. He could get used to this, Jet's head tucked under his chin as she was snuggled against his chest. He rubbed her back in a way he hoped was soothing. He looked down at her smooth black hair and pushed a loose strand behind her ear. There was a strange primal feeling inside him, the urge to protect her from everything and he wanted to tell her that. Pledge to her that he would go above and beyond to make sure that no one ever would get the chance to hurt her again.


End file.
